


After All

by itsthatgirljess



Category: The Altogether (Band)
Genre: F/M, bit of a chaotic disaster, first ao3 outing?, some soft alternate universe bullshit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 01:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20827433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsthatgirljess/pseuds/itsthatgirljess
Summary: Some soft alternate reality bullshit where The Altogether is a local band that performs at your dad's bar, and Brian can't help but notice you, the pretty girl that works behind the counter and hums along to Sophie while she's mixing cocktails for his fansAlso feel like it's worth mentioning that the timeline is adjusted forward a bit so that their rise to popularity is a bit more condensed in terms of timing and also so that I don't have moral issues with a baby Brian and baby Reader being in a bar at, like, 17. Basically, the story generally starts close to a year after Brian's 21st birthday (so close to 4-ish years ago if my math serves me correctly)





	After All

**Author's Note:**

> Where The Altogether performs their first set in the dingy bar, and Brian realizes that you're quite attractive when you're nodding along to their Fat Lip cover

"Right...so, for those of you that don't know us, we're The Altogether. We've been performing as a duo for just a few months now; we started with some covers online and it snowballed to this somehow. I'm Jonah-" You watched, slightly amused, as the scruffy-haired man gestured around his general self, "and this is Brian. We're working on some original songs..." You stopped listening, a smile adorning your face as the last man awkwardly grinned to the crowd. You knew Brian; he was the one that your dad had gotten in contact with about performing at the bar, and you'd been the one to listen to their music and give the final say on whether they would fit the bar's aesthetics and atmosphere. Your dad, bless his heart, was a little outdated in his music taste and very well aware of it, so he often found bands that he thought would be a hit, and then passed them onto you for the "Local Young Adult's Approval," as he liked to call it. As a result, you were quite aware that the slightly anxious young man was basically in charge of PR for the group, and that his closed-off demeanor was quite different from his performances onstage. On stage, he was lit up with energy, excited to be on the other side of the performance and happy to sing his heart out for anyone that would listen.

"In the meantime, we're gonna do a few covers tonight and hope that we get invited back to perform again? Maybe?" Brian's voice flooded your senses, and he looked to you with a joking expression. "I dunno, depends on if the crowd like you!" The trio onstage laughed at your quip, then Jonah started to play on his guitar. After a moment of confusion, you recognised it as the video your father first brought to you; their cover of Fat Lip by Sum 41. You couldn't help but feel nervous, especially since the song was somewhat popular in your area and the cover was so different from the original. You saw that the crowd wasn't quite sure how to react either, but after a verse, a couple of drunk college kids that were pretty regular to the bar got up and started to dance along, making you giggle into your hand as another regular waved you over to order another drink.

Brian, on the other hand, was fucking _terrified._ He had never performed for a crowd in this setting before, and he was worried that a drunk teenager that had stood up was about to throw her beer at him. When he saw the girl start to sway, he relaxed, realizing that he wasn't in danger of getting hit by a can of alcohol (at least, for now). He tried not to laugh, but when he looked up to the rest of the crowd, his eyes landed on you, hiding your smile in your palm, and he couldn't help but let out a little giggle between lines. He had definitely seen you before (hell, you were the one that had landed him and Jonah the gig), but he never noticed how pretty you looked, but seeing you happy, enjoying yourself as you mixed a drink for an older man at the bar, put the curl of your hair and the slight dimple of your cheek into a whole new light. You looked confident, at ease, in your element, and he found the look to be especially pretty.

The rest of the set passed quickly for you; they performed another cover, and a somewhat silly original song that was quite nice and also pulled more giggles out of you, and then it was over. Some of the crowd stayed for more drinks as the band packed, while others lingered in hopes of talking to the band members, and a few truly wasted folks took a seat by the door while your friend that worked in the kitchen called for a few cabs to take them home. You set down another glass of whiskey, and then Brian approached the bar, holding an instrument case in his hand. "Hey, how'd we do?" You smiled at him, pouring a couple of Styrofoam cups of soda out as you talked. "You did well, I was quite impressed. Some of the regulars looked like they were enjoying themselves, especially that one girl during the first set." You slid the cups over to him, and he set the case down to pull out his wallet. "No, no. It's on me; you boys earned it." He gave you a gracious smile, waving Jonah over to grab a cup as he picked up the case from the floor, other hand reaching for the second drink. "So, in all seriousness, when will we hear about if we get to do another set?" "Probably soon, especially with a performance like that. We don't get a whole lot of shows in here, especially ones that are actually good; usually it's just karaoke or people trying to half-ass the set for a few free drinks." He beamed with pride, and it took everything in you to not comment on how cute he looked. "That's nice to hear, I was quite nervous-"

"Brian, you done over there? We gotta head out soon, I still work tomorrow!" Jonah half-yelled from the door as he left, and Brian gave you an apologetic smile. "I gotta go, sorry-" "It's fine, someone'll be in touch soon about the next show. Have a good night!" He shrugged in goodbye as he left, and you noticed the extra cup that he left on the bar. You sighed, picking it up and taking a sip as the man next to you jokingly teased you about your "crush," and you barely disagreed enough to correct him as you set to work on his next drink.

**Author's Note:**

> Right up front, although it doesn't apply too much to this chapter; I'm really sorry if Sierra and Jonah don't quite sound like themselves during this story, I'm not used to writing for them in any capacity so it's still a bit of a learning process for me. Please feel free to comment if you want to leave any pointers for their characters, mannerisms, etc. that could be helpful!


End file.
